Chronicles of Nyssa Dracula
by Anonymous Character
Summary: There is a passage in the Book of Elysia, one that cannot be fully understood. This passage tells us the prophecy of the Pravus, the half-blood who will enslave humanity. But the words we cannot read, those are the most important. The story we don't see.
1. Vanyssa Dracula

**Nyssa: I swear I tried to talk her out of it.**

**Me: Hush! Let them read the story.**

**Nyssa: They can't read it until you say your lines.**

**Me: But-**

**Nyssa: If you don't I'll sick Joss on you.**

**Me: Okay, Okay! I do not own Vladimir Todd, blah blah blah, my only characters are... well, you'll find out.**

_Chronicles of Nyssa Dracula – Chapter I_

The trees around me seemed to grow thinner as I followed two boys through the forest. My charge, the one being led, looked around again as he felt my eyes on him. I backed into a shadow, staying out of his sight. I could never be seen, especially not by him. I would never interfere unless it was absolutely necessary.

He and the other, his friend as far as I knew, entered a small clearing. A figure stood in the center, a monster I knew all too well, someone who could never mean anything but bad news. I paused just outside the open, hiding among the fringe of trees, and listened to the conversation held between the boys. This was not good. My charge whispered something to his companion, making him chuckle.

"Vlad, no offense, but I'm a slayer. I think I know how to spot a vampire. Besides…" I felt my hair bristle in anger at the mention of slayers, "He's the guy who hired me." No. This was dangerous, Vladimir shouldn't have been in this position. What had he gotten himself into? Said boy glanced at the man before them.

"You hired a slayer?" The man glared back at him, a slight sneer on his lips.

"I had no choice. Believe me, boy, I would relish taking revenge directly. But you see, our little brush last year left me scarred, which stole the council presidency from me. Last year, killing you would have been Elysian justice. This year, as the council now insists that if you are indeed a vampire, you are to be interviewed and tried, a justified murder of you by my own hand without the council's consent would be illegal. If I ever hope to regain my presidency – and I will; that force is already in motion – I can't go breaking the highest law by killing my own kind. That would condemn me to death – assuming the council ever consents that you are one of us. And I rather enjoy living." My vision went crimson with rage, and in my attempt stop myself from tearing the man apart, I missed part of the conversation. I only caught the mention of the Lucis, and being healed.

"I'm not the Pravus," Vladimir muttered, though it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself. If only he knew the half of his heritage....

"Oh, I believe that you are. Certainly even you can't deny the possibility." I let out a silent sigh, saddened immediately by the emotions coming from my charge. He would eventually accept this part of his destiny, small as it was. The rest, if I had my way, he would never have to suffer through. Vladimir suddenly smirked at the man.

"If I am the Pravus, that means I'm a vampire." Of course he was quick enough to twist this to benefit him. "So, why aren't you taking me to be interviewed and tried for my crimes? Or do you plan to capture me and harvest my blood?" I suppressed a hiss as my fangs elongated against my will. No, I couldn't interfere, not yet.

"No. I have no plans to capture you. I cannot kill you by my hand, but by a wayward slayer's hand, I can. It's really quite simple. I must prove that you are the Pravus, and the only way to so that is to do what I can to kill you. You have what I want, and trying you before the council won't give it to me." _And what exactly do you want?_ I thought. Vladimir mirrored the question.

"Ultimately? To take your place as the Pravus. But for that, I require three specific items… and, of course, your life." Vladimir stepped back and didn't respond to him. The man chuckled and spoke again. "If you are the Pravus, as I believe that you are, I will require your life to perform a very special ritual. First, of course, I must locate the precise instructions for performing that last part of the ritual. If you manage to survive tonight, I'll be back to collect you. After all, I'm ill equipped to care for a prisoner. Until the time when I discover the passage I'm seeking. It may take years. Though I hope it will be much sooner." I could have laughed at the sheer ridiculousness of what he was proposing. This was the kind of stupidity one acquires from understanding only a fraction of the stories. "It's not a proven method, of course. But texts that I've studied over the years insist that once the ceremony is complete, I will be the one to reign over vampire kind and to enslave the human race, and you… you shall rot." _We shall see about that._

He gestured to the other boy, the one I had assumed was an ally. The _slayer._ "Our dear slayer here will try to take your life in a moment. If you live, we will have proven beyond all doubt that you are the Pravus. And the naysayers, the millions of vampires who insist that the prophecy is nothing but a fairytale, will at last become believers. Believers who will be forced to follow me as the new Pravus once I complete a ceremony that is already in the works. They will obey my law, my customs, without question. No more councils, paperwork, difficulty. I will rule over all vampires with an iron fist. If you die, I was wrong about you – a shame, really, but nothing I'll feel condolences for. Either way, it is a win-win situation for me." I suppressed another hiss as my charge started to slowly back away.

"Otis said that you and my dad were friends," he eventually stated, still retreating. The man laughed humorlessly, his eyes cold.

"We were. But Tomas is dead. What greater gift can I give him but to send him his own son?" This time I wasn't quick enough to stop the growl from escaping my throat, but no one in the clearing noticed. Another man stepped into the light, coming to stand beside his employer. Vladimir kept the conversation going, and I could see he was trying to keep the others talking to buy himself time.

"How did you know Joss would bring me here?" Joss must have been the slayer, for he jumped slightly at the sound of his name.

"You act as if planting suggestions in the mind of a human is complicated. It isn't. Neither is blocking from his thoughts the fact that Jasik and I are of the same species that he is hunting, or keeping him in check during our little reunion." It brought me no comfort to know that this Joss was not acting of his own will. He was going to try and harm my charge, and that was unforgivable. Vladimir didn't give up.

"So why did you wait all year long? It's not like Bathory is a metropolis. I'm not exactly hard to find." The second man, Jasik, sighed impatiently as his master continued to humor the boy.

"Though you are of the most importance, _sire,_ it was necessary for my being healed and regaining my presidency. However, if I take the council nine months of logs documenting the procedures and locations of the Slayer Society, they will warm up to me, I assure you." He was clearly losing patience in the conversation.

"Don't you find any irony in a vampire sucking up?" I smirked, though I seemed to be the only one who found it funny.

"Enough of this! It's time to face your destiny, Vladimir Todd." My charge took something out of his pocket, aiming it at his tormentor.

"Not so fast," he said, earning only a laugh.

"You should have listened to your uncle's warning concerning taking the Lucis with you everywhere, Vladimir. For all you know, some rogue vampire could easily steal his way into your room one day while you were studying human biology, and pluck it from atop your dresser. And if he was cunning, he might replace the real Lucis with a fake one so as not to raise suspicions." Idiot! Vladimir lost the Lucis?! I fumed as he asked the slayer something I couldn't hear. Joss said nothing in return, but stared hard at the symbol on his so called friend's wrist. Finally he spoke, dropping his pack to pull out a wooden box.

"All this time you pretended to be my friend, and you were one of them, Vlad?" He said as the box opened with a barely audible _snick._ I knew what was coming, and by the look in Vladimir's eyes as he spotted the silver stake, he did as well. The slayer continued. "I don't want to do this. You have no idea how difficult your death will be to explain to Henry." Movement caught my eye from the first man, and I noted carefully which pocket he dropped the real Lucis into.

"That's two of the three items. And the third we'll collect soon enough." The slayer lifted the stake to lay a killing blow, but just as it came down, Vladimir spoke up.

"Henry knows." Those two simple words were enough to freeze Joss.

"What? What do you mean? You told him I was a slayer?" he exclaimed in panic. I stifled my laughter as I crept silently towards the man who initiated this whole ordeal.

"He knows I'm a vampire. He's known since we were eight. He keeps my secret for me – Nelly does, too. So you see, no one in Bathory was ever in danger from me. I drink donated blood, and never from the source. I know you think that vampires are evil monsters, but I'm not. I'm different." By now I was behind the two men, though I kept inside the trees for the time being. The slayer shook his head in doubt.

"You're lying. Henry tells me everything."

"Not this." There was silence for a moment, then, "If you kill me, Henry will find out that you're a slayer. Your whole family will find out."

"I can live with that – but you won't." He lunged at Vladimir, just missing as the other boy jumped away.

"You don't have to do this, Joss. Think about it. Who's the real monster here? It's D'Ablo that set this up. You and I are friends." The slayer would not be budged.

"You're a bloodsucker, and I can't let you live," he said as he lifted a vile of clear liquid. But he hesitated, which gave Vladimir time to push the matter.

"You'd kill me just because some guy told you to? Some guy who is, by the way, a vampire." _And a sorry excuse for one at that, _I thought as I moved closer, still listening intently.

"I'm doing this because it's the right thing to do. I don't give a damn what he is. This is beyond duty, Vlad. Now it's personal." I silently scoffed as he threw the vile at my charge. I could tell it was holy water from here. Of course, it couldn't really harm Vladimir, and he was obviously thinking along the same lines.

"Just so you know," he said, "the cross won't work either. They're myths – kinda like how all vampires are evil." The slayer's jaw clenched tight as he held up the stake again.

"But this will."

"You think you know so much about me, about those like me. But you don't. You just think we are mindless, heartless monsters. But we aren't. We're people, Joss. With family, friends, ideas, lives! Just like humans, there are bad vampires." Vladimir gestured towards D'Ablo as he said this. "But we're not all like that. I'm not like that."

"You think you're the only one betrayed here, Vlad? You're lying to everyone! No one in Bathory knows what a killer you are!" At this my charge ripped the stake out of Joss's hand and threw it down.

"How can you be my friend one minute and my enemy the next? That's not right! It's not fair! Vampire or not, I'm still the same person I was yesterday, the same friend you asked to come with you tonight. I haven't changed, Joss. Why have you?" His eyes, now tinged violet, showed clearly the anger and hurt he felt towards the slayer. "I'm not a killer."

Joss paled as he noticed Vladimir's eyes. "I've never seen purple eyes before. Not even on a vampire. What kind of monster are you?" He whispered fearfully. A single tear slid down his former friend's face, a sign of weakness. He didn't seem to notice.

You don't have to do this. You won't be killing a monster. You'd be murdering a friend. Please... don't." By now I was slipping the Lucis, unnoticed, out of D'Ablo's pocket. "I know it's been tough moving around, trying to make new friends. Well, you made one in me, Joss. We're friends." The slayer's face shone with determination as he brought the stake down, piercing Vladimir's heart. My chest exploded with the pain he felt, and I struggled to move through my panic. But I wasn't strong enough to withhold the scream that bubbled from my lips as he fell, and both vampires before me swiveled around.

I acted quickly, dodging both of their attacks and spinning around them. Jasik lunged towards me, only to meet my claw-like fingers through his stomach. I swiftly pulled him forward, tearing his head off with my fangs before tossing him to the ground. D'Ablo turned and fled as I finished with his mercenary, but the agony surging through my body was enough to convince me against chasing after him. I had to help Vladimir.

The slayer had noticed me by now, and was coming at me full force with the bloodied stake bared. A snarl ripped it's way from my chest as I grabbed his arm, twisting him around until the tainted point was pressed against his own throat.

"I don't have time for this, slayer," I hissed in his ear. "If you really want to do something useful, burn the body. I'm sure you'll be informed when Vladimir wakes up." He had the audacity to contradict me.

"No one could possibly wake up from that. Vlad is dead, leech." A single harsh, humorless chuckle escaped my lips.

"You'd be surprised. Now do as you're told." And I shoved him away, calling through my mind for help from the other vampires I could sense approaching. I knew them, they were friends of Tomas Todd, Vladimir's father. I had already gotten more involved than I wished, but now that I was, there was no going back. It was my duty to help Vladimir in any way I could.

The others spotted me as they entered the clearing, but they were too preoccupied with my charge to question me. I followed them through the forest after the Russian man stooped to carry the fallen boy. They were in just as much of a panic as I was, though they couldn't feel the pain I shared with Vladimir. By the time we reached a black vehicle, I could already smell the smoke coming from the mercenary's scorching remains.

Only when we arrived at a brightly lit building that I knew to be a hospital did the older men truly take notice of me, but they said nothing until after my charge was put under the knife. I felt every slice and puncture the doctors gave to him, but I kept silent about the pain, knowing it was the only way to make him heal. At least until he woke up, and could receive blood again.

Soon enough, the Russian vampire cornered me. I stood my ground as we stared each other down, literally for him as he was quite a bit taller than me. Or course, I could have dispatched of him as easily as I had Jasik, but he was an ally, and my dear Vladimir needed all of the help he could get at the moment, especially with the ruthless bastard D'Ablo still running loose in the streets. I mentally cursed the young slayer for causing me to allow his escape.

"So, Lyubov, how did you get involved with our Vlad?" Vikas, as I remembered to be his name, finally spoke. I found it strange that he would be more curious of my involvement in the recent events, rather than my identity. I let it slide, however, when I realized that I would do the same had I been in his position.

"Does it really matter, Sir? I am here to help him. That should be enough for you." He stared at me for a moment longer, then broke out in a large grin.

"Aye, Lyubov. You are completely right, and I thank you for your assistance in these matters. However, I am curious. Vlad has never spoken of such a sharp young woman as yourself, and I have never seen you before. What is your name?" My features were, as usual, carefully expressionless, and I thanked the Gods for my ability to think through the pain as I spoke with the large vampire.

"I am Nyssa. It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir." By now the other, Otis, had wandered over to us, and was listening. He laughed at my answer.

"My dear, there is no need to address either of us as Sir. I am Otis, and this is Vikas. I assume that you know Vladimir." Both men sobered at the reminder of their student. Suddenly, I felt the sensation of needles pricking at my torso, closing a wound that wasn't really there. My gaze shifted to the door through which my charge had been taken, and I knew he would be alright from that point.

"The doctors are almost finished. Vladimir will be out soon, but I doubt he'll wake up tonight." I stated quietly, glancing back at the men. Both gave me a strange look, as though I shouldn't have known such things. I didn't bother trying to contradict them; they were right. However, if I had been a normal vampire, I never would have been in that clearing to monitor the first Pravus, and then the Lucis would have been in the hands of D'Ablo. At this thought, my hand slipped to my coat pocket, where the thin tube rested. It heated slightly as my fingertips brushed the symbols. Of course, I could have used it to kill the bastard, but I was panicked at the time.

Our eyes snapped to the door as it opened, revealing an unconscious and very pale Vladimir being wheeled into a room. At the same time, three more people entered the lobby of the hospital, each in a unique form of distress. I recognized the woman as Vladimir's aunt, Nelly. She was sobbing into her hands, staring at the limp form of her nephew. The other two were boys, both whom I knew of. Henry, my charge's drudge, and consequentially his best friend, was a welcome face among the crowd. His cousin's smug but fearful countenance, on the other hand, made my blood boil.

I allowed the others to pass me without a word, but when they had all disappeared into a room around the corner, I stepped in front of the slayer and slammed him against the wall. His eyes widened slightly, but he had the dignity to not make a sound. I glared at him, my fangs elongated, until he started to shake in my grasp.

"Let's get one thing straight, you and I," I growled quietly, "I _despise_ slayers. Especially those who encroach on my territory. And as of now, that includes Vladimir Todd. If you _ever_ again come near him with the intention you had tonight, I will not hesitate to hunt you down and _rip_ you limb from limb. Is that clear, McMillan?" The frightened boy was now hanging a foot off of the ground, me gripping him by his shirt collar. He was still shaking, but he didn't stutter as he answered me.

"Crystal."


	2. Vladimir Todd

_Chronicles of Nyssa Dracula – Chapter II_

I was floating. Well, at least I thought I was floating. I couldn't see anything; there was nothing to see, anyway. Just blackness. I felt almost numb, and I somehow knew that I was asleep. But of course, the only time you can tell you're unconscious is when you're about to wake up.

The dark was slowly fading to gray, then to silver, and finally to white. Florescent lights blinded me for a second, and I blinked rapidly to help my eyes adjust. I was in a hospital bed, attached to a ton of wires and machines. My ribs hurt pretty badly, but I was still slightly numb. Someone must have given me painkillers, but I couldn't remember coming to the hospital in the first place.

I racked my brain for anything that would shed light. I remembered going with Joss into the woods, and then seeing D'Ablo... who had hired Joss to kill me. Joss was a slayer, and he'd staked me. So why was I still alive? Glancing down at myself, I noticed bandages covering virtually every inch of my arms, and judging from the strange pulling sensation on my torso, they were wrapped around my chest as well.

Someone cleared their throat, and I whipped my head around to see Otis leaning against a wall in the far corner of the room. He watched me for a minute, concerned, but when he decided I wasn't going to pass out again he grinned.

"Welcome back to the real world, Vladimir. How are you feeling?" I almost laughed, but the ache in my ribs reminded me that it probably wouldn't be a good idea.

"Like someone put a stake through me. Thanks for getting me out of there." He looked at me uneasily; like there was something he didn't want to tell me. Then he shook his head, sighing.

"Neither I nor Vikas saved you, Vlad. We only arrived after D'Ablo had fled." So he got away. Suddenly, I froze. If D'Ablo escaped, then...

"Otis... where is Joss?" His eyes widened, and then he laughed.

"Dear boy, you were almost killed and you are worried about the one who harmed you? You are truly your father's son... Don't worry about the slayer. He is in the lobby with his cousin. And... I don't think you have to worry about him coming after you again." Otis frowned as he said the last part, but let it slide away after a second. Then the other part of his admission struck me.

"Wait, Vikas is here? Why?" A booming laugh from the doorway told me that he would be answering that one for himself.

"Otis wrote me a while ago saying that I should visit. Unfortunately, I did not arrive in time to help you with slayer friend. Which reminds me, you must thank Mahlyenki Lyubov for keeping him in check for you; she has the boy cowering at her feet!" I had no idea what he was talking about, I was just glad he was there. But who was Mahlyenki Lyubov?

"It's nice to see you again Vikas, but I don't speak Russian. Who are you talking about?" He and Otis exchanged a worried look, making me even more confused. There was an awkward moment of silence before Otis replied.

"You mean you haven't met Nyssa before?" I slowly shook my head, frowning. What was going on? The three of us jumped at the sound of a very feminine voice suddenly right beside me.

"I told you he hasn't. Now leave him alone so he can eat." She had apparently appeared out of thin air, because I had been watching Vikas, and consequentially the door, the entire time. Nyssa was a tall girl, only a few inches shorter than me, with long silver-blond hair pulled up behind her head. She was rather pale, her skin contrasting sharply with catlike onyx eyes. By the way she held herself, with an almost intoxicating air of superiority, she was very obviously a vampire.

"Lyubov, you never told us exactly how you became apart of this situation..." Vikas trailed off, staring at the girl warily. She cast him an annoyed glance, but otherwise ignored him, instead handing me a silver flask filled with some sort of liquid. I hesitated, not sure if I should chance accepting anything from this strange vampiress. She sighed impatiently, then swiped it back.

"Oh for goodness sake, it's not poison!" Nyssa took a swig, her lips dyed red when she pulled back. "See? Now drink it. It will help you heal." Then she stalked out into the hallway, not looking back to see if I followed her instructions. I glanced to the elder men in the room, and seeing both of them nod, sipped the contents. It was blood, obviously, but it tasted... strange. Being half vampire, I had drunk donated blood before, but this was different somehow. I shrugged it off as my imagination and drained the flask.

"So, who is she?" They were silent. "You have no idea, do you?" Otis frowned again.

"Not exactly. She was there when we found you. In fact, she contacted us to ask for help. I don't think she's left this building since you were checked in." Well, that was slightly disturbing. A strange girl was spending the nights watching me sleep... wait.

"How long have I been here?"

"Almost a week. Nelly was worried sick. She is with the others in the lobby, if you want me to fetch her." I nodded, and he left Vikas and me alone. The giant Russian man leaned against the wall opposite me, staring into space. After a few moments of silence, I was getting impatient, but he spoke just as I was about to open my mouth.

"She seems familiar somehow, the Lyubov. Maybe I have met her sire, or perhaps a sibling. She is trustworthy, I think, but she refuses to tell us why she was there with you." I thought back to what I remembered from the clearing. D'Ablo had admitted to stealing the Lucis. Then he ordered Joss to stake me, and I distracted my friend – _former friend,_ I thought sadly – for a few minutes before he was able to finish the job. Then... there was a scream, and growling... someone talking about burning something... that's when everything went black.

"I... don't remember anyone other than Joss, D'Ablo, and someone else. That guy that attacked me awhile ago. But this Nyssa girl wasn't there, or at least not where she would be seen. Maybe she was just passing through and heard the commotion?" Doubtful, but anything's possible, I guess. Vikas shook his head, but didn't say anything else on the subject, and only a few seconds later three people were being ushered into the room by my uncle.

"Vlad, dear! Oh, I was so worried, are you feeling alright? Do you need anything?" I smiled inwardly at Nelly's concern, waving her off after a minute. I'd just woken up, why would I need anything? Except maybe... but Nyssa had taken care of that.

"I'm fine, honestly. Nothing serious hurts." That surprised me, actually. If I'd just been stabbed through the chest with a metal stake, shouldn't I be in more pain than this after only a week? Must be something to do with the whole half vampire thing. I glanced around to see who else had entered, and was mildly shocked to see Joss leaning against the open door, looking as if he'd rather be anywhere but here at the moment. He eyed his cousin every few minutes, and I knew the only reason he was at the hospital at all was to protect him from the supposedly heartless bloodsuckers that Henry surrounded himself with. Said best friend quickly seated himself beside the bed.

"Vlad, man, about time you woke up. I was starting to think I'd have to learn to whip Joss at video games from now on." The words were nonchalant, but Henry's voice was shaky. He had really been worried, despite his casual demeanor. I grinned widely, glancing quickly from him to Joss.

"Nah, I'm good. You can't get rid of me that easily. Seriously though, I'm lucky Joss missed, or you'd be right." The slayer's eyes narrowed coldly, blue stones shining in the light. He stared at both of us for a moment, his jaw clenched, then sighed.

"I don't miss, Vlad. She said you'd wake up, but I didn't believe her... I guess I underestimated how fast a vampire can recover." Now he was looking slightly worried, before he yelped and rubbed the back of his head. "What the hell, leech?"

"I told you to leave, slayer. Now go before I drain you myself." Nyssa stood behind him, hand still raised as if to smack him again. There was no emotion on her face, nothing to indicate that she was the least bit annoyed, but now Joss seemed terrified.

"But Henry-"

"Is perfectly safe here, unlike yourself. Must I show you to the door, McMillan, or are you competent enough to find it alone?" He held up his hands in surrender, casting an anxious look back at his cousin before swiftly exiting the room. Nyssa watched him go, her arm now back at her side. So that was what Vikas meant when he said she'd been keeping him under control. Henry chuckled beside me.

"You didn't have to hurt him, chick. He'd have left eventually." The vampiress showed no sign of having heard him, except to tense slightly at the word _chick_. I wondered what that was about, but made no comment. I was starting to feel the effects of the painkillers again, and it left little room for thoughts of anything but my exhaustion. My apparent savior seemed to notice, though she never once glanced at me.

"Pardon my interruption, but Vladimir still needs to rest. It would be unwise to keep him any longer than necessary." The other two vampires in the room nodded and started to usher Nelly and Henry out the door. Both left without complaint, and soon I was alone with the strange girl. I sat cross legged on the bed, watching her fiddle with something in the pocket of her coat. Taking the opportunity to study her closer, I realized that she appeared no older than I, and that she was actually very beautiful. Then again, that may come with the change.

"You have questions, do you not Vladimir Todd?" I hadn't noticed her move, but she was now perched stoically on the edge of the only chair, less than two feet from me. If I'd been paying more attention, I'd have jumped, but I was too busy thinking of what was most important to have answered before I passed out again.

"Who are you?" She gazed at me sadly for a split second before averting her eyes, the first flicker of emotion she'd shown.

"My name is Vanyssa Corine..." She hesitated, as if thinking whether or not to tell me the truth, then sighed. "Vanyssa Corine Dracula. I am a friend, no one you would have heard of." I raised a brow at the mention of the famous Hollywood vampire, but once again made no comment. Every myth was based on a nugget of truth, after all.

"Why did you help me? Not that I'm ungrateful, but you had no need to risk your own neck for mine."

"Like I said, I am a friend. Also, I happen to have a vendetta against the bastard who initiated this mess, and found this the perfect opportunity to pay him back for what he has done." Now I was confused. Yeah, D'Ablo was a jerk, but I'd thought he was only that way towards me. Why would he have turned against a fellow vampire?

"Why would he mess with you?" Her eyes shot back up to mine, searching, before she smirked.

"I suppose that it will take you a bit longer than it did me to see the differences... after all, I was trained appropriately, and you were raised by humans. I am not a vampire, Vladimir, any more than you are." My eyes widened fractionally as I thought on that. So then she was like me... which meant...

"Then I might not be the Pravus," I breathed, more to myself than anything else. There was that sad look again, the only emotion she seemed to feel.

"Vladimir... you are a Pravus. There is no escaping that. The slayer was not lying when he said he didn't miss your heart. If not for your halfling blood, you would be dead. I am truly sorry. However, you will not have to worry about D'Ablo's alleged ceremony. There is no such means to transfer the blood, or the title. It isn't much, but you are safe." Disappointment flooded me, and I looked away before this beautiful stranger could read it on my face. Then I thought of something else.

"But D'Ablo has the Lucis! He could use it against us, whether it could really switch our places or not!" Another half smirk, not quite a smile, but more than her expressionless mask. Nyssa stood up, slowly shaking her head, and dropped something heavy in my lap.

"Go to sleep, Vladimir. And next time you lose it, I refuse to fix your mistakes." With that she strode out of the room, leaving me to examine the finger thin metal cylinder in awe. How she had swiped it off of the bastard, I couldn't imagine, but she had, and now the whereabouts of the Lucis were less that I had to worry about. Shaking my head, I fell into the void as soon as my head hit the pillow.

It was nearly two weeks later, and I'd finally been checked out of the hospital a few days ago. The time had all passed in a blur, nothing really sticking out in my mind, like in a dream. There was really only one thing that proved it had really happened, because Vikas left and everyone else acted as if it hadn't. Nyssa was still here.

She wasn't overly involved in anything, and she never caused any trouble with Nelly. Henry followed her around like a lost puppy, but that was normal for him. Like I said before, the vampiress was beautiful. Really, she just stayed on the sidelines, never really interacting with anyone. She hadn't said a word since that night at the hospital, and although she was essentially a stranger to me, I was worried. How could a person be so cut off from everything be content?

So when school started back up, I insisted that she enroll with Henry and I. Joss had decided that living in a town full of vampires he couldn't kill wasn't his style, so he'd left soon after I woke up. Initially, Nyssa had refused, but grudgingly agreed when I pointed out that she was technically still a minor, and thus would be kicked out if she didn't go. Not that Nelly would ever actually do such a thing, but she didn't need to know that. And now here we were, the three of us being ushered around with the rest of the freshmen of Bathory High.

"I still don't understand the importance of such a place. Couldn't these fools be taught at home?" She was, to say it nicely, not exactly happy with her predicament. Henry, who was still trying to gain her attention, laughed.

"Probably, but then the seniors would have no one to pick on. Right Vlad?" I shook my head in exasperation as the current object of his affections stalked off to find her locker.

"Dude, just give up. She's on a totally different plane." My best friend seemed discouraged, but I doubted he would take my advice. Sighing, I followed him towards her. Unfortunately, my bad luck took that moment to reassert itself, and I was confronted by the two towering idiots that chose my life to turn into a living hell.

"Hey look Bill, I found a Goth." Irritated, I kept walking before Tom grabbed a hold of my shoulder, forcing me to turn and face them. Glaring at them never worked, so I didn't even bother trying.

"Whaddaya know. I say we introduce him to the color red." Just then a smaller, paler hand clasped around Tom's arm, squeezing until he was forced to let go of me. I wasn't surprised to find Nyssa sticking up for me, just slightly annoyed that she felt I couldn't handle myself. As if sensing my thoughts, she didn't address Bill and Tom, only grabbed my hand and started to lead me away. I followed easily.

"You didn't have to do that. I'd have handled it." I snapped at her, still irritated. She shot a quick glance at my eyes.

"Even imbeciles such as those would have noticed the change in your eye color. You need to learn to control that little quirk, Vladimir." That made more sense.

"Why do call me that?"

"That's your name, isn't it?"

"Technically. I would prefer to be called Vlad, if her majesty so pleases." By now I was speaking through gritted teeth, trying not to raise my voice. Something about this girl's attitude could seriously piss me off. She stopped abruptly, nearly making me run into her, and turned to fully look me in the eye. I took that opportunity to notice that she'd led us to a more deserted corner, where no one would notice us. For a moment, she just stared at me in silence, until I became uncomfortable under her scrutinizing gaze. I'd been stared at before, sure, but not like _that,_ and definitely not by a girl.

"I am the way I am because I was taught to be this way. If it offends you, I will try my best to stop being aristocratic, but I make no guarantees. However, there is no need to treat me with disdain, any more than I do you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to find my next class." With that, she left me alone, staring after her in shock and the slightest amount of guilt.


End file.
